Tailgates Take Center Stage Week 2 as Bills defeat Jets at MetLife Stadium

Buffalo rolls past New York 30–10 in Week 2, as favorable weather, Jets fans and Bills Mafia set the stage for a lively AFC East rivalry-filled Sunday

Forecasts earlier in the week called for clouds and maybe even some rain, but Sunday turned out to be 80 degrees and sunny – the kind of day made for tailgating.

Fans of the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets took full advantage, filling the MetLife Stadium parking lots hours before kickoff. By the end of the afternoon, the weather couldn’t have worked out and cooperated for everybody any better, and it was the Buffalo fanbase that had plenty to celebrate, leaving with a 30–10 win in Week 2.

By mid-morning in East Rutherford, New Jersey the scene was in full swing. Grills were going, coolers were open, and music spilled from every row of parked cars. The smell of wings, a city of Buffalo specialty, ribs, and burgers carried across the lot. There was also plenty of back-and-forth between Jets Nation and Bills Mafia.

Despite a Bills Mafia reputation for breaking tables and social media popularity, no broken tables were immediately observant.

“I was mildly disappointed I traveled in and didn’t see any of those,” said Bryan Sullivan, a native of Buffalo who flew in with friends to see the Week 2 contest. Sullivan added: “This is our first game seeing the Bills in Jersey in over 20 years; the last time we traveled, Giants Stadium still existed, and the Bills weren’t quite as good.”

There were, however, Zubaz pants. In addition to red, white, blue and green, there were many Labatt Blue beer cans, an Upstate New York staple taken down state and across state lines.

The Jets were attempting to bounce back from a tough start, a 34-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bills were looking to build momentum after a shaky but potential “Game of the Year” type of dramatic 41-40 comeback victory against the Baltimore Ravens in their season-opener at Highmark Stadium.

While the game itself went firmly in the Bills’ favor, the atmosphere outside showed both fan bases take just as much pride in the pregame as they do in the final score. Rain or shine, win or lose, Jets and Bills fans, longtime AFC East rivals, make the parking lot part of the experience. Good weather only added to it this week, making the tailgate feel more like one late-summer event to take advantage of as opposed to a routine early-Fall Sunday.

Three years ago, Betway.com determined the Bills fanbase, based on positive sentiment and social media posts, had the best tailgating experience, averaging 21.4%, highest among the 32 NFL teams. For comparison, the same rankings, which have not been updated much since, ranked the Jets seventh.

Bills Mafia will have to turn the energy around fast this week, as they return home to host the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football (September 18). The Jets, 0-2, will seek their first win of the season as they travel to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Week 3.